Britain has the second safest roads in Europe by miles travelled, according to a comprehensive study on EU road safety.

A new report released by the European Transport Safety Council revealed that only Sweden had fewer deaths than the UK's per billion miles travelled in the EU.

The UK comes further down the scale in fourth place for road deaths per million inhabitants, but only Norway, Malta and Sweden were safer on this measure.

Bizarrely, however, the report still gave Britain a red flag for not bringing down road deaths by enough between 2001 and 2015 - even though by 2010 they were neck-and-neck with Sweden's for the title of Europe's safest.

Only Sweden had a better figure than the UK for the lowest road deaths per billion miles travelled. Poland, Latvia and Croatia all doubled the European average, the European Transport Safety Council showed

Road casualties per million inhabitants have barely come down at all in the UK during the last five years, however, the number of British fatalities in 2010 was already vying for the title of lowest in Europe.

The European Transport Safety Council revealed that more than 26,000 people died on EU roads last year - a first increase in fatalities on highways since 2001.

Of the 32 countries analysed, only nine registered a drop in road fatalities between 2014 and 2015, with Spain posting a consistent figure with the year previous.

A failure to curb speeding, drink or distracted driving, and catch drivers and passengers not wearing seatbelts have contributed to the increase in road deaths, the ETSC said.

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Why? Because of the declining level of police enforcement of traffic offences, according to its annual road safety performance index (PIN).

Of the countries with data available, more than half had issued fewer tickets for mobile phone use behind the wheel compared to five years ago. But while some could argue this may be due to better adoption of laws by drivers, the safety group said it was a sign of lower levels of enforcement across Europe.

Norway received the PIN road safety award from the transport safety group for reduction of road deaths.

Britain, on the other hand, was delivered a red rating for not bringing down an already very low number of road deaths further.

This map shows the UK as among the best performers in terms of road deaths per million inhabitants

But because its already low level of road deaths didn't fall fast enough, the UK got red-flagged on this map

The safety council's warning on enforcement echoes concerns expressed at home. Last month, the RAC said there were 27 per cent fewer traffic police in England and Wales compared to 2010, which could be linked to to an increase in road deaths based on 2014 numbers.

Antonio Avenoso, executive director of the ETSC said: 'Cuts to police enforcement are doubly damaging. Fewer dangerous drivers are caught, and overall perception of the risk of being caught also decreases.

'While there is increasing pressure to reprioritise policing budgets across Europe, it makes no sense to cut back on road safety.

'26,000 are still dying each year on our roads, and the numbers will not start to decrease again without concerted action.'

But even the ETSC acknowledged the link between enforcement and road deaths wasn't all that binding.

In fact, Sweden, The Netherlands and Finland all posted a decline in issued speeding tickets but were also three countries that posted reductions in road deaths since 2010.

In the UK, where deaths have also been slow to reduce, the number of tickets issued fell after 2010 when government cuts affected enforcement levels but tickets issued are starting to increase again.

However, the figures suggest that an earlier adoption of stricter enforcement for breaches such as drink driving, mobile phone use and failure to wear a seat belt is holding the UK in good stead.

Eroding enforcement: The ETSC said a declining police presence and enforcement were contributing factors for why road deaths on European roads increased for the first time in 14 years in 2015

On drink driving, half of the countries that provided data showed a decrease in the number of enforcement checks since 2010.

The number of alcohol road-side checks grew by 39 per cent each year in Poland, 24 per cent in Estonia and 12 per cent in Portugal.

The number of alcohol checks dropped by 13 per cent annually in Sweden, 10 per cent in Cyprus and five percent in England and Wales.

It is estimated that up to two per cent of distance travelled in the EU is driven with an illegal blood alcohol concentration but a quarter of all road deaths in the EU are alcohol related.

David Davies, Executive Director of PACTS, the UK's Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety, said: 'This report from ETSC shows the importance of adequate levels of enforcement to maintain road safety.

'It adds to the recent report from the Transport Select Committee which called for a strengthening of road policing, something widely supported by the public.

'The Europe-wide comparison of traffic law enforcement activity suggests that the UK motorist is not unreasonably penalised as some would suggest.

'It is worrying that the amount of breath-testing carried out by the police in England and Wales is not only low by European standards but has declined since 2010, despite no reduction in drink drive deaths.

'It is regrettable that data for breath tests and speeding offences are not available for Scotland.'